Effect of moisture level and use of fat replacers on quality of low-fat argentinean soft cheeses

C.S. ZALAZAR; C.A. MEINARDI; S.M. BERNAL; C.A. ZALAZAR

Microbiologie-Aliments-Nutrition

International College Alexandre Tessier

Año: 1999 vol. 17 p. 71 - 78

0759-0644

In the present work the effect of moisture level and the addition of fat replacers on the quality of low fat Argentinean soft cheeses is studied. Two types of making were performed in lab-scale equipment that allows the elaboration of five cheeses simultaneously. In the first one, different moisture contents in cheeses were reached by changes in the technology of making; in the second, a higher moisture content in cheeses was combined with the addition of 2% of the fat replacer Dairy-Lo to ® milk. The cheeses technology was that of the Cremoso Argentino cheese, owing to its simplicity and its short ripening time. At the end of the ripening period, fat, moisture and protein contents, ripering index and electrophoretic characteristics were determined in cheeses, which were also subjected to a sensory evaluation. Low fat cheeses with addition of Dairy-Lo to milk had higher moisture and ripening index than cheeses made without the addition of the fat replacer. Its paste was soft and sticky and its taste was acid. Low fat cheeses made without Dairy-Lo but with a technology allowing a higher moisture in curd were similar to control with full-cream milk, but the cream taste of the control was replaced by a pleasant “ricota” taste”. It is conclused that with changes in the making technology in the order to reach a higher water retention by curd, good quality low fat soft cheeses can be obtained without addition of fat replacers.